Hi everyone, it’s Super Asurada 77.
Today, I found myself wandering down memory lane, and I stumbled upon a memory so bittersweet it almost made me faint. It’s one of those “laugh so I don’t cry” stories.
Do you remember your “Number One Treasure” from childhood? For me, it wasn’t a toy or a bike—it was my collection of video game magazines.
The Beginning of a Lifelong Obsession: My Middle School Years
The year was 1990. I was just a middle school kid when a single book at the local bookstore changed my life forever.
It was the very first issue of ‘Game World’ (게임월드).
Back then, I was obsessed with consoles like the Famicom and Super Famicom. Seeing those vibrant game illustrations and incredibly detailed walkthroughs was like discovering a new world. I still remember the thrill of holding that first issue in my hands, bought with the 5,000 KRW allowance my grandfather gave me.
From that day on, my month revolved around waiting for the next issue of Monthly Game World.
A World Beyond the Screen: Game World and Game Champ
From middle school onwards, I was a loyal subscriber. If Game World or Game Champ was on the shelf, it was coming home with me.
I didn’t always have the money to buy the actual consoles or the latest cartridges, so those magazines were my window into that universe. I would pore over the photos and read the descriptions until I knew them by heart. Game Champ came along a bit after Game World, and I collected those too.
I even meticulously saved all the special bonuses—the BGM cassette tapes and CDs that came as supplements. They were the crown jewels of my collection.
The Great Catastrophe: My Time in the Military
But as they say, all good things must come to an end. In January 1998, I received my “call to duty” and enlisted in the military.
After the grueling weeks of basic training and being assigned to my unit, I finally got my first sweet taste of leave. I headed back home—or rather, to the new house my family had moved into while I was away. I opened the door to my new room, and my heart sank.
“Wait… where are all my magazines?”
I searched every corner, but my precious collection was nowhere to be found.
“Dad,” I asked, “Have you seen the books that were in my room?”
The Fatal Words: “Oh, those? I threw them away!”
My father’s reply was casual, almost breezy: “Oh, those? We were moving, and they were just taking up space and too heavy to carry. So I tossed them out!”
Yes… you read that right. Years of passion, loyalty, and “geek” history had been swept away by the tide of a house move and ended up in a landfill.
The shock I felt in that moment… even thinking about it now brings a tear to my eye.
Years Later, a Shocking Discovery
Fast forward to the late 2000s. I was browsing the internet and happened to click on a vintage collector’s site.
Out of curiosity, I searched for ‘Game World Issue #1.’
I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw the price.
A single copy of Game World Issue #1 was being traded for anywhere between $400 and $750 (500k to 1M KRW).
Wait… how much? $750?!
What used to be a $4 magazine bought with pocket money had become a legendary “holy grail” of retro items. Other issues were easily going for over $100 each.
If I still had that entire collection I had built up… how much would it be worth today? Probably around $6,000 (8 Million KRW)? (Haha… sob).
Where are you now, my dear magazines?
It’s painful to realize that the “stacks of paper” my father tossed out were actually “golden geese” that would be worth a fortune today.
But beyond the money, it’s the loss of that pure passion and the memories of my youth that hurts the most. I deeply miss those days of Game World and Game Champ.
Hey, publishers! If the Neo Geo AES can get a “mini” reissue, can’t we get a reprint of these legendary magazines too? A guy can dream, right?
Just as a heads-up, you can find Game Champ archived as e-books on the GameMeca website [link]
Original article in Korean: [link]
